Russian nuclear forces, “always” ready for combat, warns Putin

(Moscow) Russian strategic nuclear forces are “always” ready for combat, Vladimir Putin stressed on Thursday during his speech to celebrate the Soviet victory against Hitler, amid tensions linked to the conflict in Ukraine.

The Russian president oversaw the May 9 military parade in Red Square, the centerpiece of the Kremlin’s narrative extolling the country’s power. More than 9,000 military personnel, according to Russian media, armored vehicles, missile launchers and combat aircraft took part.

“Russia will do everything to avoid a global confrontation. But, at the same time, we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic (nuclear) forces are always on alert,” the Russian president said.

He recently ordered tactical nuclear exercises involving troops stationed near Ukraine.

A Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, explained Thursday that these exercises were part of “efforts” to strengthen Russian nuclear deterrence in the face of the “escalation” carried out by “its Western adversaries”.

On Thursday, Vladimir Putin affirmed that Moscow, which presents itself as a counterweight to Anglo-Saxon influence, rejected “the pretension to exclusivity” of any government or alliance.

Then he reaffirmed that Russia was going through “difficult times”. “The destiny of the homeland and its future depend on each of us,” he said, saluting the “heroes” who fight for Moscow on the front.

Vladimir Putin, 71, presents the assault on Kyiv as an existential conflict and promises “victory” to his fellow citizens on each occasion in a fight against a Ukrainian government presented as “neo-Nazi”.

The head of the Kremlin has long mobilized the memory of the Second World War – which left 27 million dead on the Soviet side – to present himself as heir to the power of the USSR and legitimize his own power.

Parades canceled

The parade is at the heart of the Kremlin’s patriotic education, denounced as militarist by the opposition.

“I was able to see our superb equipment and our valiant armed forces pass by,” rejoiced Ekaterina Tolstaya, a monastery employee interviewed by AFP in Moscow, as troops headed towards Red Square for the parade.

Elena Melikhova, 44, who came with her son, believes that these commemorations are “very important for future generations”: “It’s very touching and very exciting. And also very scary. »

The parade on Moscow’s Red Square did not escape the security and diplomatic fallout from the assault on Kyiv.

Vladimir Putin, isolated on the international scene, was surrounded on Thursday by only a few allied heads of state.

Among them, the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan or Turkmenistan, according to the Kremlin, as well as the presidents of Laos, Cuba and Guinea-Bissau.

Some parades were also canceled for “security” reasons, particularly in regions bordering Ukraine, regularly affected by strikes.

At least eight people were injured overnight from Wednesday to Thursday in a Ukrainian air attack on the Russian town of Belgorod and its surroundings, the regional governor announced.

Advances on the front

The 2023 parade was much more modest than previous years, with very little modern equipment while Russian troops were already mobilized massively on the front.

Russia was then emerging from a series of bitter failures, at the dawn of a highly anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive.

A year later, the situation is quite different: the Russian army has suffered significant losses and has failed to achieve a real breakthrough, but it has recently made territorial gains against Ukrainian troops in difficulty.

Kyiv’s counter-offensive has failed and Ukraine now fears that its adversary, who has more men, equipment and a more powerful military industry, will launch a major operation upon the arrival of summer.

Domestically, Vladimir Putin’s power is also more uncontested than ever. The repression crushed all dissenting voices. His great opponent Alexeï Navalny died in mid-February in prison under unclear circumstances.

The Russian president has just been re-appointed as head of the country until 2030, with the possibility of then serving another term until 2036.